Gadgets

Lend Me An Ear

Technology organizations have been researching voice recognition technology over the last 2 decades. With significant improvements in recognition algorithms, some organizations have successfully deployed applications that effectively recognize user voice and execute commands. To create these effective algorithms, the code should self-learn and create effective database of various languages to be recognized by devices. Therefore, device manufacturing companies design their hardware so that the devices automatically recognize conversations in its environment.

Recently, Samsung was under a lawsuit due to the snooping behavior of its Smart TV. The license agreement of the devices specifically stated that the device may at times record and transmit recoded data to Samsung servers to improve customers experience in voice recognition technology. So which specific gadgets among the thousands in the market are actually listening to us?

Gadgets listening to you

Today nearly 90% of the high end smartphones have voice recognition while other smart electronic devices normally used in our daily life are getting upgrades that include voice recognition. Even desktops and laptops have started to snoop on user privacy by transferring audible data through the operating systems and generating necessary algorithms and data structures based on recorded vice. The top gadgets constantly listening to us are:

Moto X

Image : YouTube

Motorola was the first company to include the OK Google feature in its smartphones. Since then it has always remain among the top devices that effectively detect user interaction with the device. In its recent release, the company made it clear that the devices keep on listening to the surrounding voice to be able to detect the OK Google command when spoken by the user.

Nexus

Image : Google

Google has been working on voice recognition technology since its early days. Today its web voice search API is one of the most advanced voice recognition engine on the planet. Therefore, the company has been heavily embedding voice recognition in its Nexus phones that keeps listening to its surroundings to detect the activation command.

Chrome and Applications that Use the Web Speech API

Image : Google

Chrome has inbuilt voice search features that Google’s what the user speaks. Developers have used the web speech API in their respective applications to increase customer interactivity. Therefore each of the those applications and the browser itself is constantly listening to you every time you open up functions relating the use the API’s

Amazon Echo

Image : Amazon

Amazons latest introduction to the market is built on voice recognition and self-learning algorithms that keep listening to the user and its surrounding to provide a seamless experience. The device is programmed to keep grasping information and change its own data structures to facilitate better experience for the users.

Xbox One

Image : Microsoft

Microsoft’s flagship gaming console now comes with voice recognition that allows users to wake the device instantly by speaking the key phrase. Unfortunately, users have reported the device waking up on commercials and recordings that utter the wake up phrase.

Cars and other Vehicles

Image : PCmag UK

Computing resources and oil now allow vehicles to compute while driving thus providing a seamless experience to its users. Ford recently reported an upgrade to its Sync 3 that aims to ease user interaction with the system on board the car, therefore allowing automation of most tasks through voice recognition technology.

Conclusion

For now, most of the above mentioned and other voice recognizing devices and gadgets allow users to disable the service if they feel like its intrusion of privacy. But users and experts are still not clear about the amount of data stored and transmitted to the organizations servers and the potential threat that may arise out of it. Therefore, it is always better to gain control of your devices and allow it to listen to your conversations only when you want it to, else it is better to keep the features disabled.

Wearable devices are the next major revolution in connectivity after smartphones. Although the technology is still in its infancy, it has managed to produce significant consumer interest that could raise its market value up to $12.6 billion by 2018. CES 2015 saw wonderful improvements in wearable devices that in the previous year lacked successful execution. The rising popularity of the gadgets with smartphone users has resulted in active development of devices ranging from smart watches, activity trackers and wearable fitness devices to virtual reality and the Internet of things. Among the plethora of devices introduced at the CES, only some have managed to draw the attention of the potential audience. Let’s take a quick look at the top 5 wearable gadgets to watch out for in 2015.

Like all its products, Apple Watch stands as the most anticipated product this year. After years of constant failure, Apple has finally produced the ultimate wearable gadget that is a testament of the company’s innovation and dedication towards the computing industry. Its market reaction cannot be accurately predicted as it is a completely new product category after the introduction of iPad in 2010. It will be available in 3 segments namely: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sports and Apple Watch Edition. It functions as a music player, fitness tracker, communication device and acts as a handheld portal to application on other Apple devices. Most of its functions resemble Google’s Android Wear but its additional in-built app related features set it uniquely apart from other similar gadgets. It blends perfectly with Apple’s services and allows access to home automation devices. Like other smart watches, it is designed to work along with the iPhone and thus remains paired with the device to gain access to all its features.

Sony introduced its stainless steel makeover of its SmartWatch 3 that underwent a transition to Android Wear with an upgraded processor. Along with that, the company also introduced its SmartEye Glass which brings augmented reality to any pair of glasses. The idea is similar to Google Glass but brings in additional flexibility in the choice of spectacles. A small device clips itself to the side of glasses while the lens acts as an OLED with a camera. It is primarily aimed at helping runners or explorers navigate through unknown areas in a new city. It is still in active development while its SDK is made open source allowing developers to tinker with it anyway they want. The company is heavily experimenting other eye controlled wearable devices that it plans to launch this year.

After its successful introduction of the Withings Activité activity tracking watch, the company launched Withings Activité Pop, a cheaper fitness tracking watch with a brilliant design and inbuilt usability. The structure and size is similar to the original Activité but the design and functionality sets it apart from all its competitors. The device works with the Withings HealthMate App to provide accurate tracking data and health insights along with personal reminders. Its affordability and brilliant design has made it one of the most anticipated devices in 2015.

The first wearable device from the HTC comes packed with surprises. It is designed in the form of a glove that fits your hands and provides a host of features at your fingertips. The device comes with a stunning 87.2 Megapixel camera, considering that it hasn’t yet provided cameras above 4MP in its smartphones. The device is configured to work in sync with the newly launched HTC One (M8). Unique features like Social Fingerz that likes a post on Facebook, when you enact a thumbs up posture, while wearing the Gluuv makes it one of a kind device in the market. It also comes with Armie>Selfie that lets you easily take a selfie with its phenomenal 87.2MP camera. There is significant rise in the number of apps for the device that could greatly enhance its usability in the near future.

The most anticipated gadget yet to be introduced to the market is the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. After acquisition by Facebook, the company has plans for releasing the consumer version in the middle of 2015. It is an immersive virtual reality headset with stereoscopic 3D view of the game world. Its 100° field of view along with 360° head tracking provides excellent scale, depth and parallax of the 3D world, thus stretching virtual reality beyond peripheral vision.

Final Thoughts

There are numerous other useful smart watches from Pebble, Alcatel, Garmin, Misfit Swarovski, Guess and LG but all of them are fumbling attempts at entering into the wearable gadgets industry. Emiota Belty presented a unique concept and so did OhMiBod. But getting users interested in such wearable gadgets would be the major challenge for the companies. Some unique concepts like the Spider Synapse Dress may be a thing of the future but this year, the above five gadgets would definitely take the wearable device industry to a whole new level.

CES 2015 – Witness the Future of Technology Unfold

The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is the Holy Grail for the technology lovers. With over 170,000 attendees and around 3,600 exhibitors, CES 2015, held in Las Vegas, is definitely the biggest tech show in the world that tech enthusiasts look forward to every year. This year was no different with over two floors of exhibition space and a host of participants showing off their vision of future tech. Tech lovers from across the world flock to the mega event to see what’s coming next and this edition was no exceptions.

2014 saw a host of new technology and gadgets especially on the wearable tech front. The expectations were at high from what this year would bring. While the place was swarming with tech geeks and swaggering startups, biggies like Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon were conspicuous by their absence.

We round up a few of the most talked about products showcased at CES 2015-

Gogoro Smartscooter

Image : GizMag

This ultra modern and sleek designed scooter has been attracting a lot of attention, because not only it embarks the retro design that is a fusion of past and future, it runs on electric and goes up to 100 miles on one charge. Though, the pricing and launch date are yet to be announced by the company, if the claims are true, this certainly seems to be creating a strong wave of demand when launched.

Sony 4k Action Cam

Image : Sony

For the daredevils and the drone makers, the latest action cam from Sony will fit the bill perfectly. Its ability to take 4k videos and mitigate high frequency vibrations of the motor through advanced image stabilization technology is sure to appease many. Priced at a reasonable price point of $500, this is the action camera that certainly is going to pave the way for the future technology of action cameras.

Bionic Bird

Image: Google

The CES 2015 saw a stream of drones being presented by a wide range of startups, entrepreneurs and tech giants, but the one that stood out for its unique technology, looks and functionality, is Bionic Bird. It has a Bluetooth radio and can be controlled by a Smart phone. It is easy and cost-efficient to charge, and is priced at just $139.

LG 77 Inch 4k Flexible OLED

Image : Gizmodo

Partly, the CES 2015 was all about 4k televisions and screens. It’s hard to turn around and not get a 4k screen in the vision at LVCC this time around. All the TV manufacturers did their best to win the share and make a sold foot print in the 4k revolution. However, this one from LG, even though is a concept prototype, did turn heads and how. It has an OLED screen that bends at the touch of a button, which means you can enjoy both curved and flat viewing angles as per your wish. And, plus its 4k resolution gets you the lifelike clarity.

Dell Venue 8 700

Image: Bayur

The tablets were, and would be part of the CES tech show, and this year is no different. Packed with an OLED 8.4” screen and Kit Kat 4.4, it is a slim and a well designed tablet that comes with Intel RealSense Snapshot depth camera. Powerful, portable and light – this product from Dell did manage to win the CES Best of innovation Award, not for nothing. Check it out when it gets released in early 2015, as per the company release.

Voxel8 3D Printer

Image : Gizmodo

Even though the CES 2015 features a lot of 3D printers, Voxel8 is different and intriguing. Its primary focus is to design electronic circuits, rather than just plastic objects with the help of the conductive ink that dries up in no time. The company also showcased a number of uses of the 3D printer, which can be used for making devices such as hearing aids, quadcopter drones and even wearable gadgets.

Sony SmartEyeGlass Attach

Image : Sony

This tech wearable from Sony is definitely not aimed at competing with Google Glass, which itself is far from being called a commercial success. However, this tech eyewear by Sony is meant to make the everyday people buy a tech eyewear without actually having to spend a fortune. It can easily get attached to the normal glasses with a small screen it has.

Samsung SSD T1 Storage Device

Image : Samsung

This one is aimed to make it big, and rightly so. The need and usage of storage devices have increased drastically in the past few years. And, Samsung is all set to make a mark in this niche before others jump into the rat race, already dominated by other players. The Samsung’s storage device on display at CES 2015 can store up to 1 Terabyte data, but is a size of a business card. Handy, portable, light and powerful – that’s what it is.

Mercedes-Benz F015

Image : Google+

This concept car by Mercedes-Benz with seats styled to face each other like a corporate meeting room, and fitted with LED displays on both the front and rear ends acting as sensors, is certainly going to make guys working for Google’s driver-less car project a bit cautious. It is styled to perfection, and is definitely worth a watch with its sleek curves. When it hits the road for real is when we shall believe the future has arrived.

PonoPlayer

Image : TechGeekForever

Finally, the people who have been following the Ponoplayer’s development from its time at Kickstarter, over a year ago, the new age mp3 player is finally available for purchase. The neat sound quality and economical pricing at $400, is what makes this small yet powerful mp3 player worth a notice.

Though, it is certainly impossible to fit in all the new age tech gadgets on show at CES 2015, these are the top few you certainly cannot miss. While it lacked any big announcements from the missing majors, the show itself brought a slew of wearable and smart tech. The absence of the most awaited Apple Watch was more than made up by an exciting line up of gizmos at the LVCC.

Wearable technology has steadily been going mainstream, especially over these past two years. In fact, if you go by market figures, wearable technology may be the next big thing- just like smartphones were in 2008.To put it into perspective, the market value of wearable tech was a measly 6.3 million in 2010. In 2014, this valuegrew by leaps and bounds to reach a staggering (estimated) $ 5.1 billion.

A lot of money is going into research and development of wearable tech as well. Several companies have come up with a slew of outstanding wearable gadgets this year. Here’s a preview of 10 upcoming wearable technology gadgets that you can expect in 2014:

Google Glass

Google Glass is, perhaps, the most looked-forward to gadget of 2014. Google Glass is still in open beta until the end of the year, but you can purchase it if you have a US shipping address and are over 18 years of age. The glasses are made of feather-light titanium. Google Glass can do a lot of amazing things, like record videos and click photos and reply to emails and texts with just voice commands. It also lets you listen to music, helps keep you fit through apps and help you find your way with Google Now.

Avegant Glyph

Avegant Glyph is a revolutionary portable personal theater system that is built into a pair of wearable headphones. The band of the headphones flips to cover your eyes and videos are beamed directly onto your retina using Virtual Retinal Display technology. This makes for the sharpest, clearest and most colorful images you can hope to see digitally. The mobile theater system also includes premium 3D audio for an immersive experience.

Polar V800 Wristband

The Polar V800 Wristband debuted early this year at the CES show. Polar V800 Wristband is a sports watch designed for professional athletes or people serious about their fitness. The watch can track your speed, distance covered and routetaken. It can help you plan and design a fitness regimen as well.

Intel Edison

The Intel Edison is a tiny development board/ computer that is half as small as the palm of your hand. The development board contains a dual-core 400 MHz Quark processor that is as powerful as the early Pentium range of processors. It has integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support. The board can theoretically be fit into anything – t-shirts, trousers and shoes. At the moment, however, you can only buy it with the Mimo Baby Monitor.

Freescale WaRP

Freescale introduced a Wearable Reference Platform (WaRP) board this year. Like the Intel Edison, the WaRP features some revolutionary technology. It runs on the world’s smallest ARM processor and supports high-level operating systems like Linux and Android. It has several potential uses in the future, like gaming headsets, wellness monitors, smart watches and wireless insulin pumps. It also has a built-in Linear Accelerometer and Magnetometer.

Pebble Steel

The Pebble Steel (Pebble 2) was another promising debutant at the CES 2014 show. The Pebble Steel is a wearable watch that comes in attractive Brushed Stainless Steel and Black Matte finishes. The watch is as useful as it looks good. Pebble Steel syncs with your smartphone to let you read messages. It supports apps and has a LED indicator. The watch can go up to 7 days between charges. Pebble Steel is available in limited supply, so expect to get it a few months after you order.

Samsung Gear 2

The Samsung Gear 2 is a wearable, water-resistant watch that debuted in the middle of 2014. The watch is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Samsung Gear. The Samsung Gear 2 can sync with Samsung smartphones. It offers features like a heart-rate monitor, notifications for messages and calls and a range of fitness and health apps. It also doubles as a remote for your TV and set-top boxes. The watch is easy to use because of its touch-screen interface and is available in a range of eye-catching colors.

Intelligent Headset

The Intelligent Headset is a wearable headset that offers true 3D sounds. It claims to produce sounds as you would hear them in real life – from above, from behind and everywhere at once. It comes with several sensors- like an accelerometer, GPS, compass and gyro- that can tell you where you are and which direction you’re facing. It also has Bluetooth support.

LG G Watch

The LG G Watch is one of the first watches fitted with the revolutionary Android Wear technology (controllable with the app). The LG G watch is available in a range of colors and has changeable straps. It is dust and water resistant. The watch can be used to access the Google search engine with just voice commands. It constantly displays useful information when worn, like the weather or the route you should take to work.

Misfit Shine

Misfit Shine is a sleeping and fitness monitor that can be worn anywhere on your body – like your wrists, on your shoes, on your neck, hanging off your pocket and even inside it. The monitor works with all major smartphone brands and lasts for up to 6 months on a charge. The monitor has an attractive LED display. It helps you track your calorie intake, sleep patterns and distance traveled while running. Misfit Shine debuted earlier this year as well.

As good as 2014 is if you are a wearable technology fan, 2015 promises to be even better. Expect to see smart toothbrushes, wearable digital mood indicators and even vacuum shoes to hit the shelves next year.

The holiday season is upon us once again, and along with it, the task of figuring out what to get our loved ones. Looking for tech gifts? Below is a list of gadgets that are trending for the holidays this year.

Google Chromecast

Chromecast is a nifty little device that allows a user to play content on their TV from various Web streaming services over their home Wi-fi. This means it’s no longer necessary to connect an HDMI cable from a laptop to the TV. Once it’s set up, a smartphone, tablet, or computer can be used to control it. At the time of this article, the supported services are HBO GO, Pandora, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Youtube, Google Play TV & Movies, and Google Play Music. For anything else, you can stream the Chrome browser to Chromecast.

Nest Smoke Detector

Nest originally made a smart thermostat. Now they’ve improved on the traditional smoke detector. It’s called Nest Protect. It has various, non-jarring ways of telling you when its battery is low (on your smart phone or by a yellow ring of light). Before going off, it speaks the problem, such as that there’s smoke in the bedroom. It can be turned off or queried with hand gestures. It also detects CO2. If you happen to also have the Nest Thermostat and it detects CO2, it will automatically turn off the furnace. It comes in wired and wireless versions. It can also function as a nightlight when you pass under it.

Credit: Nest.com

iHealth Activity Monitor and Sleep Tracker

The latest trend in healthy living has been self-monitoring, so what holiday would be complete without a wearable monitor to help your loved ones with their New Year’s resolutions? The iHealth monitor is worn like a watch and tracks your daily activity and sleep. It tracks the steps you take, the distance you travel, the calories you burn, and your sleep efficiency. This device has a related iPhone app it syncs with to give you your stats.

Credit: iHealth (www.iHealthLabs.com)

HTC One

The HTC One is an affordable alternative to some of today’s more expensive smartphones. It has one of the best cameras currently on smartphones on the market, weighs just 143 grams, and has a 4.7 inch, full HD 1080p display. It also has dual front stereo speakers with built-in amplifiers that cause bigger sound with less distortion than other phones. It also detects ambient noise to adjust in-call voice to compensate.

iPad Air

The iPad Air is Apple’s latest tablet. It’s thinner and lighter than its predecessors and includes Apple’s Retina display, which makes the screen so sharp you can’t even see the pixels. It’s also twice as fast, but has the same 10 hour battery life as its predecessor. It comes with multiple storage capacity options. 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB.

Nexus 7

For Android lovers there is the Nexus 7, which is 7” and .64 lbs. It also sports a 9 to 10 hour battery life (depending on how you use it) and has wireless charging. The screen is HD and you can use either Wi-Fi or 4G LTE if you’re not at home to connect to the internet. Hard drive sizes are either 16 GB or 32 GB.

Pebble Smartwatch

Wearable computers are trending. Pebble is a smartwatch that syncs with your smartphone to do more than just track your fitness. It can also show you who is calling or texting without you having to get out your phone, get notifications, display the weather, and more. You can even choose a custom watch face. It can go 5 – 7 days before needing to recharge.

Bose QuietComfort 20i Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

These are in-ear noise canceling headphones, so there are no bulky ear-pieces to wear for long periods of time. These head phones can block the whole outside world or you can turn on “aware mode”, which lets some sound through. They come with a rechargeable battery that can charge in just 2 hours and lasts up to 16 hours playing time per charge.

Credit: Bose (https://globalpressroom.bose.com)

Skylanders Swap Force

A new adventure in the Skylanders games, collect figures that can interface with the major game systems on the market (Wii, PS3/4, etc). Each figure has its own abilities and with this new iteration tops and bottoms of the figures can be mixed and matched to create characters with varying abilities as opposed to just ones in an individual figure.

PS4 and Xbox One

Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen systems are on the market in time for the holidays. The PS4 comes with a 500 GB hard drive, a headset, and the new DualShock 4 controller with a touchpad at its center. The controller also has a new Share button that allows the last few minutes of play to be uploaded as a video, or you can broadcast your gameplay in real-time. The PS4 can also stream from a number of services for movies and music.

The X-box One comes with a Kinect, a 500 GB hard dive, a Blu-ray drive, built in Wi-fi, a headset, and a 14-day subscription to Xbox Live. It connects to your cable box and can switch between games and TV, and it uses voice commands.

There are a lot of great gadgets out this season for gift giving no matter what interests your loved ones have. What do you think of these? Do you have any other cool gadgets to share? Leave a comment and tell us about the gadgets that made your 2013 gift list.

iPhone 5 Social Media Mentions

Almost as many negative comments as positive have been recorded on social networks – which are quite likely reducing desire to buy the new iPhone. These graphs show there is not a great outpouring of positive comments on social media about the iPhone 5.

Further analysis would be necessary to find out exactly which of the issues are causing the most negative comments. See the video reviews below for what those issues are.

iPhone Video Reviews

C/Net Video iPhone 5 Review Pros:

Larger screen (longer)

Faster processor

4G speeds which can be twice many people’s home wifi

iPhone5 Review Cons:

Some networks can’t do voice and data at the same time

iPhone 4 cables won’t fit

Engadget iPhone 5 Video Review

IOS 6.0

Extra row for apps at the bottom

1136×640 display size

Panorama Mode

Passbook

Thinner, lighter, taller than 4S

Two tone colors

8 mega pixel camera

Social Media Sentiment

Murray Newlands talks about why he feels fans are so disappointed in this short video:

Having watched those iPhone Video reviews what do you think?

Is that the iPhone you’ve been waiting for or will having to buy new cables, or not being able to use voice and data at the same time on Sprint or Verizon or not liking the new Mapping app put you off buying?

Tell us whether you’ve bought one, want one – or decided it isn’t for you in the comments.

When traveling, whether for business or leisure, it’s always important to gather the gadgets you’ll need for your trip. Some are essential, some are fun, but forgetting any of them can make for an unpleasant trip. For the sake of being obvious, we’ll assume that you don’t forget your laptop or cell phone.

Here are some of the less-obvious gadgets that you may want to consider when traveling:

1) IOGEAR Portable Media Player

With the ability to store 50 DVD movies on its 120 GB hard drive, the IOGEAR Portable Media Player is quite possibly your best friend on travels. It is tiny compared to other PMPs and offers the unique ability to convert standard definition content up to 720p HD resolution. Even better, you won’t be stuck paying $9.99 per movie in hotels. This little gadget will hook into just about anything that can play movies.

2) Mobile Printers

When doing business abroad, don’t assume that you won’t need a printer when you reach your destination (or when you’re on the way). It’s always good to be prepared in the event printing is required. Trying to hook up to someone else’s printer requires drivers. Transferring files to computers that already have printer hookups results in inconvenience from the transfer as well as any security concerns. Then, there is always the potential for a printer to not be available at all. When considering mobile printers, size matters. It’s probably better to take a more compact solution and sacrifice a little speed.

3) Video Eyeware

You’re probably wondering why you will need video eyeware. When traveling, there is one thing to always keep in mind — there is always someone looking over your shoulder. Therefore this gadget should definitely be in the list of your top gadgets for travelers. This nifty little piece of technology, the EnVision Video Eyeware, gives you privacy and the ability to be completely unobtrusive to travelers around you. Before you say “but you have to connect to your laptop to play”, check out. the product information. You’ll likely be surprised at its capabilities.

4) Portable GPS Navigation

Trying to rely on maps and directions when driving in unfamiliar territory can be an unnecessary burden. Many car rental companies charge a super-premium price to have a vehicle with navigation. For those who travel and rent often, a portable GPS navigation system is perfect for keeping on the right path. We have mentioned the Garmin GPSMAP 640 GPS navigation system previously. Another option, the portable GPS by Delphi, has many features and an attractive price tag. The unit allows you to input places on your itinerary to receive directions, saving time and energy during the trip that can be spent on more important things.

5) True Global Travel Plug Adapter

If you will be traveling internationally, remember that the power outlets overseas are different from one another. Gadgets also have different plugs. Having the means to power up may sound simple, but without a tool like the Travel Plug Adapter, you may end up being out of juice, out of luck, and out of time.

Regardless of where you travel or how often, having the important gadgets with you can make or break a trip. The best thing about all the gadgets mentioned is that they can all fit in one nice, neat travel bag for placement inside a suitcase or work as one of your carryon bags.

Business is all about being prepared. This information should make preparation easier and your trips a more enjoyable experience.

Gadget Advisor is a resource for the best in gadget and tech news. Rather than presenting every bit of news from each day, Gadget Advisor focuses on the products and news that are the most significant, useful, and/or cool so that visitors can quickly view the top gadgets and tech news without wading through pages of mediocre news.